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Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Australia vs Canada

Statutory annual leave in Australia and Canada, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does annual leave compare between Australia and Canada?

Australia: 4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. Canada: Ontario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years. At five years' service that means 4 weeks in Australia and 3 weeks (Ontario) in Canada.

Australia vs Canada, side by side

AustraliaCanada
The rule4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions.Ontario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years.
At 1 year4 weeks2 weeks (Ontario)
At 5 years4 weeks3 weeks (Ontario)
At 10 years4 weeks3 weeks (Ontario; 4 weeks federally regulated)
Key numbersEntitlement: 4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers); Public holidays: 8 national; 10-13 typical by state; Leave loading: Award-dependent, commonly 17.5%Ontario: 2 weeks / 4%, then 3 weeks / 6% at 5 years; Quebec: 3 weeks / 6% from 3 years; Federal: 2 / 3 / 4 weeks at 1 / 5 / 10 years

Australia

The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination. Shiftworkers defined by an award get 5 weeks. Leave loading (commonly 17.5%) applies only where an award or agreement provides it. Public holidays add 8 national days, with states typically taking the total to 10 to 13.

  • Entitlement4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers)
  • Public holidays8 national; 10-13 typical by state
  • Leave loadingAward-dependent, commonly 17.5%
  • On terminationUnused leave paid out
  • Casuals get no paid annual leave; the 25% loading is the trade-off.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87). Checked July 2026.

Canada

Ontario pairs vacation time with vacation pay as a percentage of gross wages: 2 weeks and 4% until the fifth anniversary, then 3 weeks and 6%. Quebec gets to the 3-week tier two years sooner, at 3 years' service, and Saskatchewan starts everyone at 3 weeks. Federally regulated employees add a third step, 4 weeks and 8% at 10 years, and observe 10 general holidays to Ontario's 9.

  • Ontario2 weeks / 4%, then 3 weeks / 6% at 5 years
  • Quebec3 weeks / 6% from 3 years
  • Federal2 / 3 / 4 weeks at 1 / 5 / 10 years
  • Public holidaysOntario 9; federal 10
Length of serviceEntitlement
Ontario, under 5 years2 weeks (4% of gross wages)
Ontario, 5 years or more3 weeks (6% of gross wages)
  • Vacation pay doubles as a payroll on-cost (4% to 6%), which the employer-costs page accounts for.
  • Province variation is real: quote Ontario and say so, never 'Canada gets 2 weeks'.

Source: Ontario ESA guide (3-week tier since 2018; Quebec per CNESST). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Australia) and True cost of an employee (Canada). The complete six-market picture is on the Annual leave by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87Checked July 2026
CanadaOntario ESA guide3-week tier since 2018; Quebec per CNESSTChecked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on annual leave in Australia?

4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination.

What is the rule on annual leave in Canada?

Ontario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years. Ontario pairs vacation time with vacation pay as a percentage of gross wages: 2 weeks and 4% until the fifth anniversary, then 3 weeks and 6%.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and Canada government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Fair Work Ombudsman, your provincial employment standards office or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.